How To Cook Prime Rib On The Big Green Egg

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What could possibly make prime rib more epic?  How about adding that big, bad, bold charcoal flavor of the Big Green Egg?  Layer in some wood chunks and you have an even better recipe for mouthwatering Prime Rib.  This recipe delivers amazing results thanks to the Ultimate Cooking Experience.


Yield: 1 Prime Rib – Approx finished weight 8.5 pounds

Prep time: 20 Minutes Prep, 12-16 hours of Wrap Time

Cook time: 1 ¾ - 2 ½ hours of cook time, plus 15-20 minute rest time

Ingredients                                    

Prep Directions

  1. Remove from the cryo-vac package and put onto a large cookie sheet pan, allow to drain any juices and warm up at room temperature for 20 minutes.
  2. Liberally rub on all sides with your choice of seasoning.  Use our Prime Rib Rub-a-Dub or Standard Rub-A-Dub or a 50/50 blend of both.
  3. We do not recommend salt crusted for our cooking process
  4. Allow the rub to sit on the prime rib for another 20 minutes, then wrap in plastic wrap and place on a cookie sheet pan and into the fridge.
  5. I suggest leaving wrapped for 12-18 hours

Cooking Directions

  1. Pre Heat your Big Green Egg to 200 degrees and load with your preferred smoking wood chunks
    • Layer in the wood chunks to create an even sustained smoke flavor
  2. Add the ConvEGGtor legs up and then place grill grate on top of convEGGtor
  3. Adjust Temp to 350 Degrees
  4. Place the prime rib into a roasting pan, on a roasting rack to catch the drippings. Ribs/rib side down, fat side up
  5. Add any additional seasoning to the top of the prime rib if desired
  6. Add any bacon fat or butter to the top of the prime rib if desired
  7. Load your iGrill or Meater probe if desired (or other Bluetooth or Wi-Fi thermometer)
  8. DO NOT cover the prime rib during the cooking process
  9. Close the lid and sear at 350 degrees for 20 minutes
  10. Turn the Big Green Egg down to 325 and cook until desired doneness is reached (see chart below for approx. cooking times)
  11. Remove from the Big Green Egg with time to allow for resting and carry over.
    • Remove my prime rib about 10-12 degrees before my desired temp, this allows carry over and resting
  12. Slice and enjoy with our Au Jus or Horsey Sauce

Prime Rib Roasting Timetable

Keep in mind smoker and grill temps may vary, so use a good quality digital thermometer to best judge doneness.

Weight with Bones Approximate Cooking Times
3 Ribs – 7-8 Pounds
4 Ribs – 9-11 Pounds
5 Ribs – 12-13 Pounds
6 Ribs – 14-16 Pounds
7 Ribs – 16 Pounds and UP
1 ½ - 1 ¾ Hours plus resting time
1 ¾  - 2 ½ Hours plus resting time
2 ½  - 3 Hours plus resting time
3 – 3 ½ Hours plus resting time
3 ½ - 4 ½ Hours plus resting

Chef Tips and Suggestions

  • Beef will continue to Carry Over cook. Once removed from the oven it will continue to cook another 10-12 degrees in 20 minutes of resting.
  • Be sure to pull slightly under desired doneness to allow for carry over cooking.
  • Rest 15-20 minutes total


DONENESS TEMP COLOR MOISTURE LEVEL
Rare 80-100 Blueish – Deep Red Highest
Medium Rare 125 - 135 Red with slight pink High
Medium 140 - 145 Pink with slight brown Medium
Medium Well 150 - 155 Mostly Brown Low
Well Done 160 and above Brown / Grey Lowest


Understanding Prime Rib

What is Prime Rib?

  • A standing rib roast, also known as prime rib, is a cut of beef from the primal rib, one of the nine primal cuts of beef. While the entire rib section comprises ribs six through 12, a standing rib roast may contain anywhere from two to seven
  • PRIME in the term prime rib means its one of the 9 prime cuts of meat.  (Chuck, Rib, Short Loin, Sirloin, Round, Brisket, Shank, Plate and Flank)
Depending on the budget you have for this holiday or celebration treat there is a quality level to meat your needs.  We find that by placing our orders before the holiday season starts, we are able to get better pricing and then pickup as we need.  Check with your local butcher, grocery store, grocery club or meat counter and see if this is something they can offer.  Prices do increase during high demand seasons and holidays.

Top 5 Quality Grades

  1. S. Prime – Highest in quality and Moderately Abundant Marbling, limited supply.
  2. S. Choice – Certified Angus Beef – This grade represents the upper 2/3 of the Choice range. Higher quality and Moderate Marbling
  3. S. Choice – High quality and Modest Marbling
  4. S. Select – Medium quality and Slight Marbling
  5. S. Standard – Lower quality and Trace Marbling

Selecting the Perfect Prime Rib 

I am having 6 people over, how much should I buy?
  • A good rule of thumb is to plan on 1 bone per 2 people. That can equate to about 10 oz of cooked prime rib per person.
  • Keep in mind there will be a small amount of shrink while cooking, so buy a tiny bit extra to ensure you have some leftovers for those shaved prime rib sandwiches the next day.
Bone or No Bone?
  • While the bones do add a great flavor, it’s not necessary to cook a bone in rib roast.
  • If cooking a boneless roast please follow the same methods as above and reduce total cooking time by 20-30 minutes depending on cooking tool used.
  • When choosing a size, we don’t recommend buying anything under a 2 bone portion, as this is more of a thick steak style cut and will be difficult to roast and keep from drying out.
For more helpful tips and recipes, visit Ace Hardware's Tips & Advice Published:3/2/2020